MeGUI - x264/XviD/lavc/Snow encoder with MP4/MKV/AVI output & audio

[Sharktooth]

opening multiple avs files would mean a complete rewrite of the job and settings controls.
dunno if it's worth adding it, since it can lead to some problems too (for example bitrate setup).

[Doom9]

@Chris: I'm afraid it's not that easy to achieve.. an app is built a certain workflow, and in case of MeGUI, it's load an avisynth script, load a profile / select codec and configure, select the container, press queue, or before pressing queue load the audio file, configure that as well, and go the autoencoding route.

It gets even more complex when you consider the one click encoder.

How would your idea work with all those modes? And keep in mind that you shouldn't break existing workflows while at it.

[Chris Benoit]

I see,i just asked if ti was possible without having to go to that trouble,but since you say that it needs lots of work and it could result to problems then i gues i'll just have to add manually every .avs.

Thanx for your replies guys.

[greggerm]

Problem:
I am attempting to use the one-click mode - After MeGUI passes a job to a video encoder (tested with both x264 and mencoder) for a two-pass job, the progress window pops up and no progress is made. The .stats file is created, but remains empty (0kb), and the (x264/mencoder) encoder process appears to do work at 50% processing time (hyperthreaded cpu).

I've left the system in this state overnight when attempting to encode both a 4 minute chapter of a DVD, and an entire DVD itself, but when I wake up in the morning, everything is just as it was - processor use at 50% and no stats. In essence, no progress.

Programs
Megui Full 0.2.3.1023d (tested with previous versions over the past few days)
x264 Full 387E / mplayer 2005.11.23.P4
Avisynth 2.5.6
dgdecode 1.4.5
besweet 1.5b31 +nero AAC
mp4box (downloaded as linked here Friday)
yuvcodecs-1.2

.net 1.1

Settings
I've tried my own settings, but I also tested with the "generic" suite of profiles provided on the forums (v.91?).

Edit: When I attempt to play the AVS file, media player pops up then closes immediately - is this part of the issue?

Edit: I also attempted to run the command line found in the logs FROM the command line - it launches the encoder, gets to the processor id section (SSE, SSE2, etc), and holds there. CRTL-C escapes.

Edit: Edited out the log files and command lines, as it seems that Doom9 has uncovered an issue with One Click Encoding and the resultant D2V file. (Below)

[Doom9]

Edit: When I attempt to play the AVS file, media player pops up then closes immediately - is this part of the issue?

Yes I believe so. Could you recreate the d2v file manually (using dgindex directly, not via megui), make sure you enable force film if megui enabled it (to find that, open the d2v file via notepad and look at the last line.. if it mentions a percentage larger than what is in the settings (95 by default) enable force film in dgindex. Then please post both d2v files so I can have a look at them.. I believe megui does something that corrupts the d2v file and this propagates through the AviSynth script and makes encoding fail.

[greggerm]

The oneclick D2V file has some extra wording (almost comments) in the first block of information. The dgindex native file does not have that commenting. (Inside the Field_Operation line)

I edited the oneclick one to remove those words, and I was able to open the AVS - and presumably the encode would continue, but I can't quite figure out how to resume an aborted job.

I've attached the two files in a zip for your pleasure.

Hopefully this little hiccup can be addressed - the One Click option is *HUGE* for us newbs who are migrating over from Nero.

Edit:

In the interest of speed (seeing as the attachment needs approval), here's the difference I noticed... I cannot guarantee that it's the ONLY difference, but when I removed the extra coding, it was usable in AVS.

MeGUI/One Click Created

Field_Operation=1 (0:None 1:ForcedFILM 2:RawFrames)

DGIndex Native Created

Field_Operation=1

Thanks,
-Greg

[Doom9]

but I can't quite figure out how to resume an aborted job.

Just double click on it.. it goes back to waiting state Thanks for the project files, I'll have a look tomorrow.. it's getting late.

[Doom9]

aww, crud.. thanks for those d2v files.. they remind me of what I should've fixed a long time ago. I'm pretty sure that if you take this line:

Field_Operation=1 (0:None 1:ForcedFILM 2:RawFrames)

and convert it into

Field_Operation=1

The file should work just fine.

Umm.. which release of MeGUI it is you're using? Turns out that's been long fixed.

[greggerm]

Yes, removing the extra stuff makes a world of difference. I noticed that running the logged DGIndex command line on it's own creates a clean file, but the resulting file if left to MeGUI has the comments in it.

Using the latest and greatest build posted today by Shark in the Dev thread... 0.2.3.1023D.. is there a different one I should be using?



In my testing with a clean file, I came across a question about the one-click functionality: ...it doesn't... at least for me.

I run a one-click job, and manually edit the D2V file as seen above. It runs the audio portion fine, and starts the 1st pass of the video. But it errors immediately when starting the 2nd pass. The logs show some sort of odd calculations, which result in the 2nd pass bitrate to be set at 0. x264 doesn't like this, and errors out.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
job job2-1 has been processed. This job is linked to the next job: job2-2
this series of jobs starts with an audio job and is followed by regular twopass video jobs
The audio job is named job2-1 the first pass job2-2 and the second pass job2-3
The second pass job has a desired final output size of 20480000 bytes and video bitrate of 700 kbit/s
The size of the first audio track is 5787017 bytes
Desired video size after substracting audio size is 14261Setting the desired bitrate of the subsequent video jobs to 0 kbit/s
Next job job2-2 is a video job. encoder commandline:
"C:\Audio and Multimedia\MeGUI\x264\x264.exe" --pass 1 --bitrate 0 --stats "C:\TIJ\VIDEO_TS\VTS_04_1.stats" --bframes 3 --b-pyramid --filter -1,0 --subme 1 --analyse none --me dia --threads 2 --progress --no-psnr --output NUL "C:\TIJ\VIDEO_TS\VTS_04_1.avs" 
successfully set up video encoder and callbacks for job job2-2
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Log for job job2-2

avis [info]: 640x272 @ 23.98 fps (8614 frames)
x264 [info]: using cpu capabilities MMX MMXEXT SSE SSE2 
x264 [info]: slice I:48    Avg QP:47.44  size:  1546
x264 [info]: slice P:3338  Avg QP:50.98  size:   251
x264 [info]: slice B:5228  Avg QP:50.97  size:   143
x264 [info]: mb I  I16..4: 91.4%  0.0%  8.6%
x264 [info]: mb P  I16..4: 10.4%  0.0%  0.0%  P16..4:  8.0%  0.0%  0.0%  0.0%  0.0%    skip:81.5%
x264 [info]: mb B  I16..4:  6.1%  0.0%  0.0%  B16..8: 18.5%  0.0%  0.0%  direct: 0.3%  skip:75.2%
x264 [info]: final ratefactor: 231.11
x264 [info]: kb/s:36.9

Actual bitrate after encoding without container overhead: 37.92

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
job job2-2 has been processed. This job is linked to the next job: job2-3
Next job job2-3 is a video job. encoder commandline:
"C:\Audio and Multimedia\MeGUI\x264\x264.exe" --pass 2 --bitrate 0 --stats "C:\TIJ\VIDEO_TS\VTS_04_1.stats" --ref 5 --bframes 3 --b-pyramid --filter -1,0 --subme 6 --weightb --trellis 1 --analyse all  --8x8dct --threads 2 --progress --no-psnr --output "C:\TIJ\VIDEO_TS\VTS_04_1_Video.mp4" "C:\TIJ\VIDEO_TS\VTS_04_1.avs" 
successfully set up video encoder and callbacks for job job2-3

...and then it errors out and stops...

This is with the versions listed a few threads above (all current as of 12/19/05)

Somewhere along the lines, signals are getting crossed and the one click system seems to be getting confused. If I cut n' paste the 2nd job's command line, edit the bitrate and run it in a window, I get a properly created mp4 which I can then mux together.

And with that, I have an additional question - I am looking for the encoder to do it's work targetting a specific bitrate, not file size. Using the "standard" but slower workflow, a box pops up using the AutoEncode mode asking if you want to target the encode to a size, target a bitrate, or target a quality. How can I control these options in a one-click mode? I am leaning on this to take away my "dependancy" on Nero Recode, as it provides you with the ability to set the bitrate independant of any desired size restrictions.

Edit: On Page 10 of the Dev thread (Post 190 ), doom9 mentions that the automatic modes are NOT rate based, and are very much "target size" oriented. Unless that has changed, looks like I may be out of luck. While the "full" encoding method may be a bit tedious with the great number of DVD's I want to rip down, perhaps someone can offer up a very smooth workflow to nicely set up a half-dozen DVDs at a time or so...

Thanks for your continued help and pointers,
-Greg

[Chris Benoit]

Guys can i make some other suggestion for features to add?

A)Can you add the feature off time-start jobs?In order for the queud files to be encoded in a speicified time.

B)Also when you input an avs,then the output should have the same name.For the first avs it does that,but when you put a second the output stays the same.

E.g. you put a.avs and the output automatically becomes a.mp4 but if you put b.avs the output remains b.mp4,so can it become b.mp4 and so on?

P.S.If i have any further suggestions should i address them here or in the megui development discussion?

[amango]

Feature request:

I encode usually recorded stuff from DVB. For this material it is useful if I could set ranges (start-ending) which frames to encode to cut out advertisement.

Without the cutting-feature I am limited to VirtualDub, so I have to use the VfW-version of x264.... MeGui can only be used for DVD-ripps in his current form (as other apps like Auto Gordion Knot).

[buzzqw]

trim with cuttermaran/Mpeg2Schnitt
make a d2v project
import d2v to megui

BHH

[greggerm]

Originally Posted by Doom9

aww, crud.. thanks for those d2v files.. they remind me of what I should've fixed a long time ago. I'm pretty sure that if you take this line:
Field_Operation=1 (0:None 1:ForcedFILM 2:RawFrames)
and convert it into
Field_Operation=1
...
Umm.. which release of MeGUI it is you're using? Turns out that's been long fixed.

Doom9 - just curious - did I stumble upon a bug that was reintroduced into the program, or should I be using another build other than the one I am (Sharktooth's 0.2.3.1023D, as found in the development thread yesterday)

Thanks!
-Greg

[Doom9]

@amango: once we rewrite audio to no longer use BeSweet, that will be possible, but prior to that there's just no way.. going AviSynth we can accurately cut audio and video and that's what's needed to cut out commercials.

@greggerm: I'm honestly perplexed why this happens, I only have the 0.2.3.1023 source code here right now but that one seems to have the proper code. As x264.nl is currently down I can't check if the very latest source has this problem as well. But the funny thing is that I experienced the same problem (I'm not sure about the d2v containing the wrong contents.. I never checked) with the build on my HD (an older one).. and that one seems to have the proper code as well so I need to investigate this a bit more, but with the codec comparison I have my hands full.

P.S.If i have any further suggestions should i address them here or in the megui development discussion?

Here please

A)Can you add the feature off time-start jobs?In order for the queud files to be encoded in a speicified time.

Can you give me a reason not to start them immediately?

[Doom9]

well.. I found the dgindex bug alright, the problem is it was fixed when I was making the indexer more flexible and copied code around.. I was still using the code in the old location and fixed that, so once I started using the code at the new location, that one didn't include the fix. Somebody needs to change line

208 in DGIndexer.cs to

sw.WriteLine("Field_Operation=1");

. And if the method

public static void applyForceFilm(string fileName)

is still in VideoUtil.cs, it can be safely removed (I hope.. I can't download the latest sources to compare with what I have and see if it compiles).

[stax76]

@amango

The available MPEG-2 cutters "don't seem to cut it" so until it's supported by MeGUI or StaxRip maybe you can generate your script using AVSEdit. I already wanted to start working on it as you and some others requested it but was scared of because the required changes will have rippling effects all over the application.

[greggerm]

Originally Posted by Doom9

well.. I found the dgindex bug alright, the problem is it was fixed when I was making the indexer more flexible and copied code around.. I was still using the code in the old location and fixed that, so once I started using the code at the new location, that one didn't include the fix. Somebody needs to change line...

I take it I'd need development tools in order to compile with that change on my own.

I'll sit tight and watch for the next build and hope it's cleaned up in there.

THANKS for your effort in weeding that out!
-Greg

[Sharktooth]

Originally Posted by Doom9

well.. I found the dgindex bug alright, the problem is it was fixed when I was making the indexer more flexible and copied code around.. I was still using the code in the old location and fixed that, so once I started using the code at the new location, that one didn't include the fix. Somebody needs to change line

208 in DGIndexer.cs to

sw.WriteLine("Field_Operation=1");

. And if the method

public static void applyForceFilm(string fileName)

is still in VideoUtil.cs, it can be safely removed (I hope.. I can't download the latest sources to compare with what I have and see if it compiles).

I'll do it as soon as files.x264.nl is back online...

EDIT: done. check the development thread. Sources and Bins are available.

[greggerm]

EDIT: done. check the development thread. Sources and Bins are available.

Schweet - fetched - tested - works!

MeGUI operational question -
What's the parallel setting between MeGUI and Nero Recode for the Nero-branded "Psychovisual Enhancements" (the things that compress dark scenes more, theoretically savings space by sacrificing dark details). I'd like to tweak the settings a touch in MeGUI/x264 - I've been using Nero as a crutch, so I have to learn the REAL settings now.

[Sharktooth]

x264 has no "real" psy enanchments yet.